Intelligent demands
by DrunkenTink
Summary: Blaise Zabini born with exotic looks and a sharp Slytherin forked tongue. The Zabini's never lost, because they never invested fully in either side of anything. If his mother had taught him one thing it was that – hedge your bets, always come out on top. But what happens when someone teaches him that you can't always hedge your bets? Blaise/Ginny Rated M just incase. Slightly AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **As much as I would love to, I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter - that privilege belongs to J K Rowling, and a whole host of other people including Warner Bros and Bloomsbury. I'm just using the characters in my own little way. 

**Authors Note: **This is a complete work in progress, though I do have a plot (for once!) and shall attempt to update as much as possible. The first chapter is quite short as its more of a taster. Please let me know what you think (good or bad)! 

**Intelligent Demands**

**Summary: **Blaise Zabini born with exotic looks and a sharp Slytherin forked tongue. The Zabini's never lost, because they never invested fully in either side of anything. If his mother had taught him one thing it was that – hedge your bets, always come out on top. And so Blaise heeded her words, snaked into the shadows, knew everything that was occurring but involved in nothing. At least until her, she wouldn't allow him to only be half invested, she demanded more and it was the only demand anyone had ever made of him that he couldn't deny. 

**Chapter One  
Unwise eyes**

Hogwarts. It was an odd place to the sixth year Slytherin, Blaise Zabini. Somewhere he didn't really feel that he fit in, somewhere that didn't really feel like home yet was more of a home than anywhere else he had ever been, it left an odd uneasy feeling in his stomach to think of it so honestly. His mother had already vacated King's Cross, something about a meeting with someone exceptionally important. In other words the next man who would be funding whatever delicious beach side villa his mother had eyed up on the continent. Holding in an exasperated sigh, any Slytherin knew not to express emotion in front of others, he heaved his trunk onto the already busy scarlet train and proceeded to find whatever compartment his fellow green and silver housemates had already commandeered. That thought also deserved an eye roll, there were the two boulders that if Blaise was not mistaken must surely have some form of troll within their family trees, the pug that simpered more than spoke actual English, the airhead who's eyes only showed real expression whenever gallons were mentioned, and then the only 2 people who Blaise found he had much time for Malfoy and Nott. Though what was going on with those two at the moment was anyone's guess, the notes he had received over the summer left much to be desired and the dark haired boy wasn't certain he actually wanted to know any details given the events at the end of the last school year. 

Barging through the door with a grace only possessed by those who are raised with a knowledge of etiquette far beyond most royal families, Blaise was finally reunited with the people he would almost certainly be exasperated by within around half an hour. It seemed he had already missed whatever it was that had the pug, or Pansy as he must remember to call her, fawning over the blonde Slytherin prince. Resuming the usual male snake facial expression, the smirk, he seated himself next to Nott, raising an eyebrow at Malfoy for good measure, 'Ah Draco, what have you done that Pansy feels the need to salute your existence for today?' 

The pug, _Pansy_ Blaise berated himself, only raised an eyebrow in return an inane grin creeping its way on to her squashed features. 

'Why Blaise if you're jealous I'm sure I can persuade Theodore to swap seats for a while'. Trying hard not to blanch at the thought he simply shook his head, reminding himself to speak to Draco about his ridiculous habit of encouraging the idiotic bints attentions. 

Whilst glancing around the rest of the compartment, taking in the almost stupefied looks on the boulders faces, and the intensely bored one on Theo's his eyes swept over the doorway and immediately he wished they hadn't. A flash of red hit his pupils, threatening to blind him if he looked at it for too long. Long scarlet locks were the centre of his vision, a vision which he knew if he moved his eyes slightly would extend to include a pair of large chocolate coloured doe eyes, a small button nose and a bee stung pair of lips. Blinking harshly, Blaise moved his sight back to within the compartment, taking refuge in looking at Daphne Greengrass, a more asinine creature than could be found anywhere and apparently hadn't even noticed until now that Blaise had arrived. 

The tan skinned wizard almost breathed a sigh of relief when a whistle rang loud above all other noise within the locomotive, and the train began its journey upward from the bustling London station to the quiet hills of Scotland. If he couldn't keep his emotions under check the game would be over. Not that it was necessarily a game, but it was the only piece of advice from his mother that he had ever followed and would continue to do so as it was the only rule in life Blaise Zabini incorporated – _hedge your bets,_ _always come out on top_. He could hardly do that if he was seen to be paying attention to _her_. Slytherin's respected control over oneself, an attraction to the dark arts, stealth, cunning and above all intelligence. It was intelligent to follow his mother's advice, it was not intelligent to be getting caught up her with. His house, the house he and 2 others ruled, would not respect him if they saw. If they found out what haunted the Zabini heir's thoughts and dreams. No, interacting or having any thoughts of interacting with Ginny Weasley was not intelligent. 

**Please R&R! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2 Blind Sheep

**Disclaimer **I do not own Harry Potter more is the pity. If I did I'd be on my own island with a clone of Draco Malfoy serving me grapes.

**Chapter 2  
Blind Sheep**

Ginerva Weasley was popular by everyone's standards, considered a friend by many, lusted after by more than a few boys and generally well thought of by everyone else. Well, mainly everyone else. Slytherin's obviously didn't count. So many people seemed to think they knew her, of course they did to an extent, but she was always careful to keep the important parts to herself, confiding secrets is what had led to the changes within her in the first place.

After her first year at Hogwarts something had changed within the scarlet haired girl. Naivety and childish dreams had been forced from her mind. Puerile notions that the world was indeed a wonderful and beautiful place had been replaced by vivid memories of evil hiding behind a handsome mask. And if evil could hide behind something that had looked so good what did that say about the evil that was easier to see. And yet… she knew there had been something that she could relate to within Tom Riddle. She knew there was _something_ within him that had started those dreams and thoughts that he could indeed change the world. She might not agree with what he wanted to change it into. His dreams of a world that was ruled by pureblood wizards was not something the only Weasley girl would ever agree to and yet was he not himself searching for his utopia. And any thoughts of a utopia could never be completely wrong.

Though she didn't ever think any kind of utopia could be achieved. No one single person would ever agree on what that perfect world would be and therefore it would never be perfect. Yet this didn't stop Ginny from hoping something close could be achieved. Not by everything that was considered bad being wiped out, but by people being more understanding, more tolerant of each other. And if she could somehow help this to be achieved then that was her part within that. No longer would she judge without thought, the very basic human instinct to label and stereotype people was something she now fought desperately against. It was funny really that these thoughts were coming into her head as she was sat on the train speeding her way back to Hogwarts, somewhere that spilt young impressionable minds into groups that were already so prejudiced against one another.

'Gin, knut for your thoughts?' Hermione's voice cut through her internal monologue making her shake her head and force out a small smile for the bushy haired girl.

'It's nothing Mione, just thinking back to last year…. You know how it is.' And really she supposed that was what had brought on thoughts she hadn't so seriously considered in a while. The rush that had been the end of the last school year, infiltrating the ministry, fighting death eaters (who in Ginny's mind were worse than Tom himself the mindless sheep), losing Sirius, and the ministry finally coming to its senses and listening to Harry had finally caught up with her. All summer she had been so focused in ensuring that Harry was OK, that her family were OK even if that prat Percy still hadn't been in touch that she hadn't had any time to consider how she was dealing with it all.

Ron gave her an understanding nod, moving his eyes to look worriedly outside of their compartment. 'Wonder how Harry's getting on having lunch with the new professor.' He said, too casually for Ginny to actually believe there wasn't any concern behind the simple statement.

'I'm sure he's fine Ron, but I'm gunna go stretch my legs. This train journey always seems too long to me.' Ginny spoke as she stood and exited their compartment.

It wasn't as though she herself wasn't worried about Harry, but she knew there was no point in speculating over it with her brother and his best friend. The raven haired boy always confided to those two anyway, and Ginny was certain they were privy to more information about the entire situation of last year and how Harry was dealing with it than she was.

Walking round the train she forced herself to act oblivious to the number of stares she was getting. What had happened at the ministry last year wasn't a secret, though obviously no one knew the exact details, but they knew she was there. They all now obviously knew that Harry had been telling the truth and wasn't crazy and so now anyone he hung around with was obviously seen as desirable to speak to as they might know more of the inside story.

Ginny shook her head to herself and continued to walk, not wanting to involve herself in any conversation that involved any of that. She was sincerely hoping for a different school year. It wasn't that she didn't want to be able to help if and where she could, but something inside her just wanted there to be less drama for once. As she peered into the compartment she had come to a halt to outside of, she knew the last thought was an exceptionally improbable one.

She had already found herself outside this compartment when she had first boarded the train, it was undoubtedly the Slytherin sixth year compartment. It took her back to her earlier thought of mindless sheep. If there was ever a bunch of … people who fit that description it had to be the ones in this section of the train. A mention of her name had her head raised and curiosity peaked within a second.

'…that Weasley girl! What's so special about _her_?' Ginny rolled her eyes, it was so easy in the first few years of school to get insulted and upset every time Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret decided to bestow one of his amazingly _witty _insults on to her. Now they were just pathetic.

'A lot of boys like her,' she heard Pansy, the pug, Parkinson insert into the conversation. 'Even you think she's good-looking, don't you, Blaise, and we all know how hard you are to please!'

'I wouldn't touch a filthy little blood traitor like her whatever she looked like,' Ahh and there was that idiot Zabini's contribution to what appeared to be a simply _fascinating _chat.

Ginny wasn't going to bother getting involved in this. It obviously wasn't something she was supposed to be hearing, but above all it was rehashing over old insults that were quite frankly pathetic. Walking away from the snake den her thoughts turned back to her promises to herself to not judge and to give chances, she doubted she'd ever be able to with people like that and yet the hope wasn't completely washed from within her.

* * *

The conversation between the Slytherin sixth years was something that had been quickly erased from Ginny's mind as the school term began. It was afterall her OWL year and things actually seemed to be quite quiet on the old Western Front for the majority of the year (a muggle saying she was certain she had picked up from her father). She played quidditch, tried to stay out of whatever fight it was that her brother and his bushy haired friend seemed to be in on any given day, split up with her boyfriend Dean Thomas (because really in this day and age who needed help doing every tiny menial task, it was quite sexist) and generally got on with her fifth year at school. 

* * *

Blaise on the other hand was finding the pressure this year overwhelming. He honestly felt as though his face would now forever be stuck in an expressionless state. It wasn't that he disagreed with the Dark Lord exactly, muggles were worthless, even house elves were of more use and time than them. However he failed to see the necessity in torturing other wizards, witches and magical folk. He failed to see how someone could claim to be the greatest wizard of all time when he was recruiting 16 year old underage wizards.

'It's something only I can do and I've been given a chance to prove my worthiness to the cause Blaise! I fail to see why you are fretting over this. I would have thought you would have been happy that the Dark Lord obviously thinks we're all so worthy. So stop worrying and just start thinking about when you'll be receiving your own initiation task!' Malfoy spat at him whenever he made the mistake of enquiring about whatever it was he seemed to be up to.

The dark haired boy struggled not to roll his eyes at this. He knew he would not be completing any _task_. He might agree with some of the principles behind the Dark Lord's actions, but there was no way he would ever be marring his own forearm in an attempt to _follow _him. Blaise was a Slytherin through and through and looked out for himself, being a follower of anyone was not going to cut it for him. But the thought worried him slightly. He knew he didn't agree with _Saint _Potter and his merry band of do-gooding followers, running around with smiles on their faces whilst they got themselves killed in an attempt to help a majority of beings who didn't even know that wizardkind existed. And yet nor did he want to run around with a ridiculous looking mask on, murdering anyone on command and having no freedom for his own thoughts.

'Well whatever it is Draco, it looks like somebody should be fretting over it because at the rate you're going you're going to get caught! You look like shit and people are going to begin to notice!' Blaise hid his concern behind thinly veiled caution. He didn't agree with Draco blindly doing whatever it was he'd been told to do, but 16 years of friendship, even if that was Slytherin friendship hiding care and concern behind scorn and threats, was a lot to back down from.

Turning away from the platinum haired boy, Blaise left the dorm room, exited the common room and began moving his way up and out of the dungeons. His own thoughts were in a jumble and it wasn't until he bumped into another body that he realised he'd been paying no attention to where he was going.

'I'm so sorry! I wasn't even looking!' Exclaimed Ginny Weasley, who Blaise had to assume hadn't looked to see who it was she had bumped into, otherwise he doubted he'd be in the privileged position of receiving an apology from her.

Staring for a couple of minutes, knowing a polite response was out of the question and yet not wanting to be a complete arse, 'Whatever Weaslette just watch where you're going. The dungeon probably isn't a safe place for Gryffindor's resident princess.' The statement was bitten out in a casual tone which was the opposite of what the handsome Slytherin actually felt, and as soon as the words were out of his mouth he swept off down the corridor, careful to keep his eyes in front of him to prevent him from turning back.

_It never gets any easier….. _he thought bitterly, not knowing that it would actually be a lot harder if he had spent any time paying attention to the fiery haired younger girl. He didn't know of her recent dating progress and the danger that was sure to put her in.

**Authors note **So I kinda wanted to stick slightly to canon, which I will try to do mostly but obviously this story is AU so it won't really be possible. I'm getting through Ginny's 5th and Blaise's 6th year as quickly as I can to be honest because it was only ever going to be a year where I could scope them out, get some background to the story before it really starts in Blaise's 7th year so I apologise if it's a little boring.

Thank you so much to Marinka and Blaiselover for reviewing the first chapter. Its always a great feeling when you see a review from someone.

So anyway R&R and let me know what you think.


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